History Timeline

Our History

The first public performance

1936 – 1945 The first public performance in the Theatre, Sutton Vane’s Outward Bound ran for 3 nights only in April 1936 as our lease restricted the Club to only 6 public performances per annum! The Club continued to thrive and membership rapidly reached 300 with a waiting list of 210

Workington Playgoers Club formed
Ieuan Banner Mendus as Mayor of Workington

On 5th December at a meeting of 120 towns folk the Founder President Ieuan Banner Mendus successfully put the case for a new acting club and Workington Playgoers Club was formed. An appeal raised £48-10-0d to refurbish the theatre and to pay the monthly rent of £2.13.4d for the first 6 month lease.

MAC’s Theatre Royal
MAC’s Theatre Royal

An advert for MAC”S THEATRE ROYAL circa 1920 As the advert shows that particular week there were four films supported by DAVID FULLER, a favourite baritone and The TWO GLINNS, comedy entertainers.

The gallery and horseshoe balconies were removed

The gallery and horseshoe balconies were removed, reducing the seating capacity to 376. The Theatre then operated as a proper cinema for the next 22 years.

Cinematographic Shows

Mac’s Variety & Cinematographic Shows took over once nightly and then twice nightly in an attempt to keep the theatre profitable, but even at prices of 6d and 1/- for seats, these shows soon had to make way to Pictures & Vaudeville.

The Jubilee Hall which became the Opera House was built on the site of the present Opera House in Pow Street (the first one burned down) and resulted in competition and falling audiences for the Theatre Royal.

The renaming!

The theatre was renamed ‘The Theatre Royal’.

In the beginning!

The original 700 seat theatre originally known as ‘The Lyceum’ was built by George John Smith, a Londoner who came to Cumbria to work as a cutter to a local tailor in Whitehaven. He made his fortune by marrying into the pawn-broking business.

Back To Top